Moving day is just days away, and hundreds of Quebecers are struggling to find housing

With just a few days to go before July 1, 1,300 Quebecers are still looking for housing — many of whom are Montrealers.

The housing crisis is most acute in Montreal, where 191 people have yet to find a place to live ahead of moving day. Longueuil on the South Shore isn't far behind, with 116 people looking for housing.

Rimouski has 61 residents without a home, and Rouyn-Noranda has 40.

Demand is lowest in Quebec City, with 25 people still looking for housing.

Requests for housing help

According to the Office municipal d'habitation de Montréal and the Société d'habitation du Québec, requests for help finding housing have jumped by almost 100 per cent in Montreal and across the province in one year.

The office is currently assisting 250 people in the city — a sign of the scale of the crisis, said Mayor Valérie Plante on Wednesday.

Benoit Dorais, vice-president of Montreal's executive committee and the councillor responsible for housing, noted that the housing crisis affects vulnerable people in particular.

"There's been an increase among seniors, and we're seeing more and more people who are alone with mental health problems," he said.

For Plante, the solution lies in building more social housing.

"Emergency resources, yes, but there needs to be more housing, especially for the more vulnerable," she said.

WATCH | Here's what you can do if you're unhoused on moving day: 

What do you do when you have nowhere to move on July 1?

5 months ago

Duration 2:24

Hundreds of Montrealers are on the city’s waiting list ahead of moving day. The city says emergency services are available to avoid people ending up on the street, but housing groups say it’s not nearly enough.

Difficult 'to be 10th in line'

Housing advocates describe a distressing situation for tenants.

"The situation is deteriorating. There's probably a greater fear of not finding housing. Tenants have told us how difficult it is to be the tenth in line," said Catherine Lussier from the Front d'action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU).

Faced with a situation that gets worse every year, community organizations joined forces on Wednesday to call on the various levels of government to step in. 

"FRAPRU is calling on Quebec to double its share of social housing, to reach 20 per cent within 15 years. We're currently at 10.5 per cent through acquisition and construction," said Stéphanie Barahona from FRAPRU.